


We Meet Again at Dusk

by Colourful_skies



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Afterlife, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Banter, Character Death if that's not clear from the premise, Desert, Edward Elric Swears, Fluff and Angst, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, Mutual Pining, Peace, Post-Canon, Reflection, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27513919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Colourful_skies/pseuds/Colourful_skies
Summary: In which Roy and Edward meet each other as ghosts and try to discover why they haven’t moved on to the Beyond.(Unresolved feelings tend to be stubborn.)
Relationships: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 50





	We Meet Again at Dusk

**Author's Note:**

> Little one-shot about life, death, and second chances.
> 
> My mind offered this for the upcoming RoyEd Week “peace” prompt, but I was too impatient to wait until then to post, so I’ll share some more “peace” next month (fluffier festive edition).
> 
> This fic is gentle but rated “T” for occasional swearing.

* * *

Six months after the Promised Day, Roy Mustang was assassinated.

The killer was a nobody, a random civilian who had supported the Bradley regime. He was sentenced to prison for life, not that that changed anything. After everything he had gone through, Roy died in the street without fanfare or greater purpose.

In that moment before the bullet pierced his skull, thoughts flicked rapid-fire through his mind.

Foremost: “Damn, I never told Fullmetal.”

And then Roy Mustang fell, fingers askew in a snap he didn’t have time to complete.

* * *

Roy came to in a white, sterile office. He wore a yellow wristband. The room was lined with seats, although they appeared empty. With a startle, he realized that he heard soft breathing as if a dozen people surrounded him.

“You can’t see them, dear,” said the receptionist. “It’s fine.”

Roy stood up. “Where... where am I?”

Before she could answer, a young man walked behind her and whispered in her ear. The receptionist smiled brightly. “You’re in luck, Mr. Mustang. The doctors are ready to see you.”

Tense with anticipation, Roy opened the door she indicated and followed her directions into a waiting room.

Before long, a pair of male and female doctors joined him. They had matching blond hair and kind faces. Wait a moment...

“Drs. Rockbell?” Surely Roy’s mind was playing tricks on him. He hadn’t seen them since the fires of Ishval and then the haunted eyes of the daughter they left behind.

Their faces lit up. “That’s right!” “It’s so rare that we get recognized, these days.”

Roy stared at the floor. “I’m sorry I sent so many Ishvalans to your care. I shouldn’t have obeyed such terrible orders... I couldn’t see until it was too late.”

Winry’s father rested a hand on Roy’s shoulder. “It’s fine. Your regret is genuine, my boy, and I see the goodness in your heart. But that’s irrelevant right now.”

“We’re not here to judge you,” continued Winry’s mother. “Not in that sense, anyhow. This is more of a check-up, combined with a bit of an orientation.”

“I don’t understand.” Roy’s brows furrowed. “I died, right? Is this hell? It seems nicer than I would’ve expected.”

For some reason this didn’t dim the duo’s smiles. “I forget sometimes how little humans know about the afterlife.” The look in the father’s eyes shifted to something closer to pity than Roy would have liked. “But that’s part of why you’re here in the Between.” He pointed to Roy’s bracelet. “You have a choice.”

By hour’s end, Roy was back in the street of his untimely demise.

Seeing but unseeable, he picked his way through the agitated crowd. Whatever “unfinished business” bound him here was unlikely to dwell among the screaming and the blood. Otherwise, Roy would have just taken his chances on the Beyond.

* * *

Ed’s Between needed no filter. He woke up in the bright white void with Truth staring him down.

“You again,” said Ed.

“Yes.” Truth shrugged. “This time, you died.”

Ed swore. The last thing he could remember was... right. Al had warned him to stop saving kittens on his behalf from increasingly tall trees. At least this time Ed had been alone.

“Do I still have a Gate?” He was honestly confused about the logistics of all of this. “Am I s’posed to go through it now or something?”

Truth laughed, a hollow, eerie sound.

“Always so keen to keep moving,” it said. “You amuse me, elder Elric. But no, or not yet, to your second question.” Two chairs appeared, and Truth gestured him to sit. “You’ve seen me more than most, so I sent you here instead of... the usual place. But this is where some humans get a choice.”

“What?” Ed’s mind was whirring with calculations and he couldn’t keep up. “So I’m back in some kind of fuckin’ liminal space between life and death? Again?”

“In a manner of speaking.” Truth tented its fingers. “You have unfinished business on earth.” For the first time, Ed noticed a yellow band around his wrist. “Do you wish to return?”

“Like... a ghost?”

“Exactly.” Truth explained the details.

“Yes,” said Ed. “I’m in.”

* * *

It was lonely, being unable to communicate with others. Nonetheless, Roy found it strangely meditative.

For the first year or so, Roy wandered Amestris and its neighbouring lands.

He didn’t know exactly what was unfinished, but surely he would recognize it. In addition, his skin crawled with the need to get away from the familiar. Roy was no stranger to emotional self-immolation; however, watching his loved ones mourn him without a way to comfort them was too much to bear.

Ghosts didn’t need sleep or nourishment, not unlike a suit of armour he once knew. Unlike Alphonse, Roy was alone and had no reason to wait out nighttime indoors. Some of his favourite evenings were spent wandering the desert by moonlight, basking in the sights, sounds and overwhelming solitude. He wondered how warm or cool the sand would have felt on his toes. Sometimes he ran into small animals, though of course they couldn’t see or hear him either.

Roy decided to spend a few years in Xing. He couldn’t make connections in the proper way, but he could drift through walls and attend lectures to soak in new knowledge and music. Walking through people seemed rude, but on the odd occasion there was contact, the person almost shivered. Did it matter? Roy wasn’t sure anything mattered anymore. However, he felt more connected to his Xingese ancestry than he ever had.

His soul felt fed, even while the rest of him could not be.

Would his parents be waiting for him in the Beyond? He supposed so. Roy hadn’t been particularly religious on Earth, although he’d tried; would Xingese worshippers have a different resting place? He added spirituality lectures to his regular rotation.

One day, he walked around his favourite market, taking in the bustle of sounds and smells he couldn’t fully embrace. The sky was remarkably clear, and Roy felt the truth of what he’d started to suspect. It was time to go home.

* * *

Of all places, Ed was gatecrashing a play when he saw Roy come in.

The other man didn’t notice him, so Ed walked over at intermission. “Boo!”

Roy jumped as if he’d seen a ghost. Which he had. “Oh! Hello.”

“Fancy seeing you here.”

Roy regained his composure. “How… I haven’t seen a single other ghost. At least, I don’t think so. No one can hear me.” And he’d thought Ed would be halfway to Trisha by now.

“Me neither,” admitted Ed. “Wait… holy Xerxes, you’ve been alone since your death? What, ten years?”

“Something like that,” said Roy nonchalantly. “You know me; I keep busy.”

“Didn’t you wanna just, like, find your ‘unfinished business’ and keep on goin’? I just arrived.”

“I was sorry to hear about that.”

“Whatever.” Now it was Ed’s turn to brush him off. “Thanks. Dying kinda sucks, sure, but I already did the important stuff. Amestris _needed_ me before, and the rest I got was all gravy.”

Roy raised an eyebrow. “If you were perfectly satisfied, how did you end up back here?”

“Well, I didn’t say that.” Ed snorted. “‘Decently happy’ doesn’t mean ‘without regrets’. Though I can’t figure out what the actual ‘business’ they meant was.”

“Neither can I,” said Roy. “I’m not in any hurry, but it would be nice to know.”

The five-minute warning bell chimed above them.

“Wanna figure it out together? It’s been a month without talking and I’m goin’ out of my skin. I dunno how you haven’t _lost it_ after a decade.”

“Sure,” shrugged Roy. A smile played at his lips until an eyebrow lifted. “And who’s to say I haven’t?”

* * *

As they sat through the second act, Roy battled down a smile.

Solitude had been a blessing for him here. However, he was starting to think he’d prefer banter than everlasting silence.

And of course the universe had sent him the Fullmetal pipsqueak. He looked over out of the corner of his eyes when he thought Ed wouldn’t notice. When Roy left, Ed was just coming into his own as a young man. He was easy on the eyes, sure, but commanding officers did _not_ have thoughts like that about their barely legal subordinates. It simply wasn’t done. Roy had felt ashamed he even fleetingly noticed his beauty, all those years ago.

Now Ed was frozen in time at twenty-seven. Ed had kept his trademark braid, but his face was longer and more defined. His eyes had a touch more world-weariness than they had at seventeen. Miracle of miracles, the man had even grown taller. Not that Roy planned to point that out.

After the play, the pair paused outside the theatre. Roy stood out of the way of pedestrian traffic. Ed didn’t; he probably enjoyed freaking people out as they passed through.

“So what’s the plan?”

“Hmm?”

“You always had a plan, back in the day. You crafty bastard.” Ed smirked.

“Is that any way to talk about a dead person?”

“I dunno. You tell me.”

Despite himself, Roy also cracked a smile. “You’ve always been a little twerp.”

“Who are you calling little?!” Ed mimicked his younger self’s posturing and then collapsed into giggles.

They stood there comfortably for a few minutes, and then Roy spoke again.

“I have a few ideas. Let’s walk and talk, Fullmetal.”

* * *

Operation Bucket List was scattershot in its approach. Ed and Roy had different notions of “unfinished business”.

“I’da liked to finish my research, but it’s not exactly possible now,” said Ed, waving his hand through a wall for emphasis. “And my colleagues are doin’ okay. I followed them around a while. So I don’t think that’s it.”

Roy stroked his chin. “Is there anything more… emotional, maybe?”

“Well…” Ed shifted from foot to foot. “My love life was utter shit. Woulda been nice to figure that out. But that doesn’t seem undead-worthy.” He grinned.

“Fair enough.”

“What about you, Colonel Perfect?”

Roy scoffed. “Please, spare me. I’m devoured by regrets and you know it.” He paused. “But I atoned as much as I could with the time I had, and no one can hear us now… so I don’t know what to do with that. The extra time is nice, I suppose, but it feels pointless.”

“Hmm.” Ed went to kick a rock and nearly tripped as his foot passed through. “Hey, I know.”

“Do you now?”

“We can’t make amends. No one even knows we’re here. We can do anything, but at the same time we’re powerless.”

“Sure.”

“But obviously our souls aren’t at rest, or some shit. So we gotta have some fun.”

“Really? I don’t buy it.” Roy paused. “Then again, I don’t see why not.”

* * *

What does “fun” look like when you’re dead? When the world is a never-ending dream?

Ed’s idea of fun was flying. He ran along the rooftops, Xingese-warrior-style, laughing as he hopped between buildings.

He looked back him. “Keep up, Flame! You can’t use your old bones as an excuse here.”

“It’s a miracle you can move so fast with those stubby legs,” retorted Roy. However, he loved this too.

The pair eventually collapsed on the ground, laughing.

“Your turn, next,” got out Ed.

“I’ve been thinking,” said Roy. “I never got used to walking _through_ people. It’s weird. But I swear they can feel it.”

Ed looked pensive. “I think so too. We must feel like a gust of cold air or something.” He sat up. “I thought it was kinda useless, ‘cause I’d wanna _talk_ to my brother and friends, not just make them chilly or some shit. But maybe there’s something to that.”

“What if we used it a different way?” Roy’s eyes were alight. “If we harnessed our spookiness for good?”

And that’s how the undead duo found itself breaking up an anti-Ishvalan protest. When the sign-wielders kept feeling gripped by an eerie cold, they felt uneasy, and several took it as an omen. Before long, the crowd dispersed.

Buoyed by success, Roy and Ed helped nudge Amestris’ politics towards inclusivity at a few other events.

One day, they spotted Alphonse walking in the street. He held a pregnant Mei’s hand and looked content.

“Al!” said Ed, rushing towards him.

“He can’t hear you,” said Roy gently.

Ed pinched his lips together in thought, finding his way to an idea. He stood in front of Al and pushed his hand through his brother’s chest.

Al stopped as if doused with cold water.

“What is it, kitten?” asked Mei.

“I’m not sure. One sec.”

Removing his hand from Al’s heart, Ed ran his hands along Al’s right arm and left shin.

“I think… I think it’s Ed.”

Sensitive that he was running out of time, Ed ran a finger along Al’s face, drawing a smile on his cheeks. He wrapped his brother in a ghostly hug and imagined what hugging him used to feel like.

Al shivered. “I don’t know how it’s possible, but I think he’s sending love from the other side.” His smile was watery.

Mei placed a hand on his shoulder.

Ed knew he needed to let his brother move on. He placed a small kiss on his brother’s forehead and stepped back.

“Goodbye,” said Al to the air. “It’s going to be okay.”

Ed and Roy retreated to a rock garden.

They watched water burble from a nearby fountain, lost in thought.

* * *

“I have another fun-for-the-sake-of-fun idea.”

“Oh yeah? Let’s hear it.” Ed jumped to his feet.

“Let’s go to the desert,” said Roy.

Ed raised an eyebrow.

“Seriously. It’s unbelievably calm. This time, you won’t have to deal with the varying temperatures doing a number on your automail.”

And so the pair set off, waving goodbye to Centre and the people they had loved.

The journey took a couple of days. By the time they reached the desert proper, it was dusk.

“Wow.” Ed drank in his surroundings. “I’m so used to melting, freezing, or almost getting eaten. For once, the desert’s not giving me any heebie-jeebies.”

Roy laughed. “It really does grow on you.” His smile dimmed. “I used to associate it with the war and all the horrors that happened. But after months of wandering it, I can appreciate its beauty.” He waved a hand. “Resilience. Sand as far as the eye can see. Giant prickly plants.” He garnered a smile for this last one. “It’s calm out here.”

Their walk was lit by the moon and an incredible expanse of stars. When they felt like they were far enough, the two sprawled out and looked up at the heavens.

“It’s funny,” said Ed after a while. He wrinkled his toes in the sand as if he could feel it. “This time with you has been really nice, Roy. I wish it didn’t take dying to get to know you better.”

“It helps our relations when we’re the only two people here,” said Roy with a dry smile.

“Don’t brush me off.” Ed gestured flicking sand at the other man.

“Fine.” Roy closed his eyes. “I could say the same, Fullmetal. I wanted to get to know you better in life, but I was afraid. Protecting you was my duty, and I was your commanding officer in a crisis. If we added more familiarity to that… I don’t know how I could’ve coped. It might have jeopardized your safety.”

Ed sat up on his elbows. “Oh yeah? I was a little shit for a different reason. My teenage self developed _feelings_ for his superior. My painfully straight boss who could have set me on fire at any moment.”

Roy started, and then he snorted. “Painfully straight my ass. I was a perfectly respectable bi, thank you very much.”

“Oh.” Ed’s mind whirred. “So… Maes…?”

“Yeah,” Roy cut him off, “but him and Gracia were made for each other. No hard feelings.” He grimaced. “Except toward Envy, for how it all ended.”

“There was so much I didn’t see back then,” said Ed.

“The same could be said for any of us.” Over the past decade, Roy had gotten glimpses of his colleagues’ growth. Apparently Riza and Maria had just gotten engaged. He was still surprised he hadn’t seen that one coming, but their joy filled him with warmth.

They rested in silence for a minute.

“You were pretty cute yourself,” said Roy. He tried to cut off Ed’s burgeoning grin. “Oh, get your mind out of the gutter. You were way too young for me, and we had that wholesome ‘stupid protective bastard’ thing going. I just… couldn’t help but notice art. I kept up with you a little bit, after. Your face has ended up on a lot of front pages.”

Ed looked mischievous. “‘You _were_ too young,’” he repeated.

The air sang with gentle desert wind and insect song.

“Oh fuck.” Ed froze in place and turned towards Roy. “It’s you.”

“What?”

“My unfinished business was to find you.” He placed his hand along Roy’s face, running a finger along his cheek.

Roy shivered from the chill. “Is that so?”

“Do you want it to be?” Roy struggled to parse the look on Ed’s face.

“I would be amenable,” said Roy, feeling like he was back in “haven’t spoken for a decade” mode.

“Well. That decides it then.” And Ed pulled the other man in for a kiss.

Roy returned the sentiment with gusto. Afterlife kissing felt a bit like dumping ice water over one’s head, but neither man seemed to mind.

“Edward,” said Roy when they finally broke apart. “I’ve been here for so long, but I’ve never felt so alive.”

Ed laughed. “Lucky for us, we have nothing but time.” He pointed at a random star. “I bet that I could keep getting to know you ’til that one burned up and still not be bored.”

“I’m flattered. I didn’t think I’d ever see the day you wanted to sit still.”

“Well, I didn’t say that.” Edward smirked. “I still want to explore the world and learn everything. Obviously. But I want to do it while seeing your stupid face.”

Roy smiled. “You can count me in.”

At once, both men felt a strange frisson. They looked down and saw green bracelets around their wrists.

“ _When ready, think of home and snap three times to move Beyond_ ,” they read.

The two linked hands.

“So a little more sightseeing, and then we see what comes next?”

“That sounds perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm still very new to this so I'd love any feedback.
> 
> I’m sure it increases the sap content, but I kept thinking of the song “A Thousand Years”. I also imagine Roy gifting Ed some afterlife karaoke of Radnor and Lee’s “Doorstep”. I’m convinced that halfway through he would drag Ed onto the stage to dance with him. Hopefully I didn't rush their revelation too much in the text, but I didn't want this to be angst-heavy.


End file.
